Mary’s Pence 2023 at a Glance
We each hold in our hands great power to make the world a better place, and to create a beloved community. We use this power each time we create a sense of belonging for all, justice for all. This year, the Mary’s Pence Grants Program funded 19 organizations from across the country. Each organization is […]
Gratitude for Three Mary’s Pence Grants from Wishwas
I am taking this time to thank you from the depth of our hearts for having supported us for three grant cycles.
We heard that we are only given 3 grants and this would be end of our beautiful relationship with Mary’s Pence. We just wanted to retrace and express our gratitude by letting Mary’s Pence know how we used the funds and what we did with the grants.
Visiting ESPERA women in the remote village of Virignia, Guatemala
I applaud Gilda’s work and her commitment to traveling hours upon hours from Mexico to go to the communities that are the most out of the way and forgotten in Guatemala to encourage and work with the women on increasing their economic status.
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Iraqi and American Minnesota Women Form Intercultural Friendships
“From the start when we gathered in the rotunda until the end when we parted ways outside of the visitor’s office, greetings, laughing, and hugs abounded among the women. The presence of caring and respect for each other was apparent. It was an uplifting and educational experience.”
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Young Women’s Empowerment Through Mary’s Pence Grantees
All participants reported increasing demand for their programs that help inspire and empower young women and girls. Their organizations are growing at a fast pace, gaining popularity, recognition, and traction at an increasing rate. A cultural shift to building up and investing in young women is happening and these organizations are on the front lines.
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Salvadoran Women’s Will to Thrive
Ambrosia explained what they learned from this experience, “We have definitely learned to be more careful with the time we set for our loans, and at the same time we are grateful to have access to these funds.” The commitment they feel towards the community of women who participate in their local ESPERA community lending pool is very powerful and helps Ambrosia and her daughters not to give up.
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Connecting Grantees Supporting Immigrants and Refugees
Although there are challenges, support from individuals and communities continues to grow. So do opportunities to increase organization reach due to flourishing demand for services and strategic partnerships.
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CREAting Dignity for Spanish Speaking Adults at Centro de Recursos Educativos para Adultos
CREA is a woman founded/directed organization. While all are welcome, 80% of learners are women. The women who founded CREA understand the need for a place where immigrants could learn English and augment their education. Many were unable to attend school in their home country because of poverty or gender discrimination.
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Emotional Health and Healing: a New Journey for the ESPERA Program
An increase in violent gang activity over the past several years, thanks in part to US deportation policy, has lead to an atmosphere of fear. These stressors, in addition to the hardship that rural women living in poverty inherently experience, have led many ESPERA women to experience anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress.
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Beyond the Money: Solidarity with Small Social Justice Organizations
Our grantees bring together the community to respond to issues of justice. We’ve supported Black mothers launching a food security project in Cincinnati, young women from North Carolina presenting at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Latina immigrants in Wisconsin organizing to change unjust immigration laws, and women helping other women to navigate the Missouri social and legal systems upon being released from prison.
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